Fourth-Quarter Burst Propels La Quinta to 43-14 Victory

La Quinta High School broke open a tight Garden Grove League game by scoring four fourth-quarter touchdowns to remain undefeated with a 43-14 homecoming victory over host Bolsa Grande Friday night.

Leading, 15-14, with 10 minutes remaining, the Aztecs (8-0, 5-0 in league) got the break they needed when Don Hopkins recovered a Matador fumble on the Bolsa Grande 17-yard line. Three plays later, Hopkins hit halfback Walter Dawkins with a 21-yard scoring pass with 9:06 remaining for a 21-14 Aztec lead.

Bolsa Grande (2-6, 1-4) stayed close until failing on a fourth-down play on its own 24-yard line with 5:22 remaining to set up Hopkins’ 10-yard scoring pass to Justin Sogoian with 3:07 left. The Aztecs turned the game into a route with pass interception returns of 51 yards by George Sanchez and 45 yards by Dawkins for late scores.

For Bolsa Grande, Maurice Wilson ran for 134 yards and one touchdown in 18 carries and Marcus Wilson added 88 yards and another touchdown in 23 carries. Hopkins led the La Quinta offense with 14 pass completions in 22 attempts for two touchdowns.